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Cool Girls Society: Stacey Eden of Clutch Jewelry

I met Stacey 5 years ago at a fashion show in Scottsdale, AZ that we were both covering. It was an instantaneous girl crush, with her passion for local art, her magnetic personality, coveted effortlessly cool style (& voice!), awe-inspiring and ongoing hustle, ability to evolve seamlessly as a brand with the needs of her niche market, oh, and a brilliant talent for goldsmithing. She always has a new piece to gush over and show off to you, tell you the backstory of, and an inspirational quote for you to take away from your coffee dates.

Stacey Eden! Cool girl! what do you do?
It’s kind of expanded- I can talk forever. I’m 31 born and raised in Phoenix, and I started Clutch 5 years ago. I have been a goldsmith for 9 years and I never started out to be in fashion. My real passion was art and power tools, I oved hanging out in the garage and riding my dirt bike.
Contrast to my English degree- Working with metal was fascinating and a cool honesty to be working in the garage and really marrying my love of art and tools and also working with my hands. I knew once I tried goldsmithing I was like “OH MY GOD! I could do this for the rest of my life.”
In the past 3 years especially I have had a tremendous growth, and I have realized how important it is to really be a good networker and evaluating how I can be a better business woman. It’s without being shrewee or cut throat it’s about supporting and networking and having an abundance-type personality. One that you can help other entrepreneurs and woman out and be supportive and I think that in business people have either abundance or scarcity mentality . Really goes back to that quote “I am not competing with anybody I hope we all make it” . Truly- the more I help other people and pay it forward by aligning myself with like minded people with the abundance mindset, the more I end up experiencing success.How do you recharge?
Yoga gas always been a part of my life for over 10 years, it saved my back, neck, and stress points. I also try and start my day with a 10 minute meditation and or Ted Talk- a Buddhist saying that “everyone should meditate for 20 minutes day, unless you have no time , in which case you should do it an hour”Haha
Really! Even if it’s 10 minutes – mediation just sets the tone for the day.

Well, give the people what they want- What are your top 5 beauty products or gadgets to get you through the day being a superwoman?

1.) ROC cleanser and day and night clean saved my skin from adult acne I will say, it’s affordable and it saved my life!

2.) Water- water, water, and more water. I love in Phoenix- but you have to hydrate! My little game is how much water I can chug first thing it makes all the difference in the world on my attitude.

3.)Boots Number 7 mascara from Walgreens- I was introduced to it backstage at Phoenix fashion week- it really doesn’t budge or flake, and when you wash it off it peels off smoothly like false lashes – like little black spiders. No raccoon eyes!

5.)- Olay ProX face brush also from Walgreens- I do it once a week, it is a great exfoliator.

What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of my job is connecting with others and bringing them joy through art.

What is the most difficult part of your job?
Time management for sure. Constantly asking myself how can I get it allllll done?

What is something no one knows about you?
I play the harmonica! Blues harmonica! Just learned. You tube is an awesome teacher.

Whoa! well, what’s your favorite song to play?

Billy Joel piano man or Amazing graceThat is so cool! Such an untapped market for harmonica players. haha.

What is your least favorite social media to participate in?
Ha, Snap chat! I like it an all but to be honest with you I don’t usually have enough space on my phone to record videos!!

I am right there with you. Constantly having to delete pictures.

What are your top three inspirations?
Sculpture- three dimensional art just totally does it for me. I love walking around something that you have to take energy and effort to totally appreciate it. It is my absolute favorite kind of art.
Anything old- classic cars are some of the beautiful things in the world if you gave me the choice of a 1968 and a new sportscar I would take the classic car all day long.
My dog- so cheesy. He’s always happy and he always wants to hang out with me and be outside and in the garage with me. He always inspires you to be outside and be creative and doing things and being happy.Who is someone who you think is perfect based on their Instagram?
I compare myself all the time to other people I think artists especially compare themselves a lot because we question ourselves and we are very competitive. It can be a bad thing if handled poorly but it can also be a positive thing if you go back to that abundance mentality. Whenever I am jealous of somebody I know that’s my mind telling me I haven’t been working as hard or as well as I can. If you are taking care of your self it’s an indication I need to be more focused and more organized or taking care of myself personally. Jealously is a perversion of a competitive nature. taking that motivation and let our insecurities to get the best of is. But we have to remember everyone is fighting a silent battle. ” if everyone was standing in a room looking at each others problems we would all take ours back”
Think about how to change the game not dominate it

Okay I love that you always have a perfect quote at hand for every question here and i LOVE that being more focused yourself instead of being jealous mindset!Who is someone who inspires you?
Katya Leo she owns Dolcessa swimwear. The Kate Upton in Antarctica shoot- that was one of her designs! She is one of the most hardworking people I know and has such a positive and inclusive mentality. She has been
Such an Inspiration for me with being a member of and participating in your community. Her hardworking drive and humility is a receipe for incredible success.

What is something you are hard on yourself about?
Being wasteful of time. I have lost some really amazing people in my life and my biggest takeaway is that cherish every moment on work. We all have a finite amount of time that extra hour of sleep or watching crap tv it’s not worth it in your last day.
I would also say getting upset about something that most likely won’t be a big deal down the road. When I think of the opportunities and growth Clutch has gone through some of the little stuff just doesn’t really matter and isn’t worth worrying myself about.

What is the best way for gals interested in following in your footsteps to get their foot in the foot in your industry?
I love the quote” be so good they can’t Ignore you” you will rejected, be ignored, you will be told that this may not be the industry for you . Your success won’t be defined by your money or connections or even your talent —– it will be your drive, tenacity, and willingness to change and evolve that will make you successful. Hard work will adapt you to rejection, to change, and to growth . If you would have been telling me 5 years ago I would be making crowns I would have laughed in your face. But it was the change that needed to happen for clutch .And once you become an artist who sells their work it’s important to realize it doesn’t belong to you it belongs to the world after that and it’s your job as the creator to look at t like a business. It’s your chance to to build something beautiful for the world. It’s not about you you’re the artist not the star.

CD-How do you crank out consistently creative content?

Pinterest is one of my best friends I’m very imaged base I love collages and I love to draw and I have notebooks and pencils and erasers with me at all times to draw and write. All of my pieces have a story and a name and I think that as humans we are storytellers at our very cores and that’s what gets me inspired; listening to other peoples stories.
I am working on a collection now inspired by Pablo Picasso. There is so much beauty in the world I know I will never lose inspiration.

How did you find your voice and create your brand?
My grandfather was the first motorcyclists in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Arizona. My grandfather is also a world class welder “top rated in the world” as a matter of fact! When I was a little girl he would make me little rings and piggy banks out of stainless steel. I always just thought he was the coolest guy ever. When I discovered my love of metal smith I had just graduated from NAU with a degree in English, and I told everyone at my graduation party I was going to become a jewelry designer. My grandfather was the only one who was excited (he doesn’t get excited about a lot) everyone else thought I should be using my degree.
Clutch is named for him- step on the gas and let out the clutch. He is such an inspiration.
He doesn’t have the patience for it so he didn’t train me, I learned at NAU. He will walk me through his power tools and we talk about processes together now. He is very impressed now that I am a girl doing it because he’s old school. We are both metal workers but we both have different processes and it’s fun to relate to him because I’m the only one in the family that can relate to him.

How do you find balance in your day and work/life/friends/family/hobbies? What is one thing you always make time for? Do you have something or someone to keep you organized?

I don’t and ! I need to do a better job! Organization and planning is key if you don’t have that under control most business “don’t plan to fail they fail to plan.”
I read about Warren Buffet’s “2 list Strategy” in Entrepreneur magazine that asks you to make a list of 25 career goals and then circle the top 5. he asks you to avoid 6-25 at all costs because you will always find someone that is a goal or important to you and feels pressing but you need the ability to “eliminate ruthlessly” because the top 5 are urgent and important you will always be running behind and apologizing if you get distracted by the List 2 things and no business owner wants that.

If you could dedicate more time to something what would it be?
Creativity and creating! So much is spent on the business sense. I would love to take 3 months and travel and create and be inspired. One day!How do you measure success?
Every night before I go to sleep I ask myself if I am at peace. Being at peace with yourself and being happy right where you are. If you’re not happy right now you never will be. Wherever you go there you are.

Courtney McEntire is a jean genie working and playing in San Diego, CA. She aspires to travel the whole world, collect every Red-Orange shade of lipstick in the market, taste test every Mexican food restaurant, meet every #girlboss, and one day complete every list she has written in her planner. Most of all Courtney wants to be a cheerleader for girls doing cool things like the Spice Girls told her to do.